§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people responded to the consultation paper on support for disabled people; if he will list those who(a) supported, (b) opposed the proposal to make New Deal interviews compulsory and (c) opposed taking into account income for which people have already contributed against a benefit earned through the payment of contributions. [77539]
§ Mr. BayleyConsultation on our proposals for the reform of benefits for disabled people ended on 8 January. 342 responses were received, just over half of which came from organisations representing disabled people. A list of the organisations that responded has been placed in the Library.
150 respondents, including 177 organisations, commented on our proposals to introduce a Single Work-Focused Gateway to benefits for working age claimants. While the vast majority of respondents generally welcomed our initiatives to help disabled people into work, a large number of these felt that final decisions on whether to make interviews compulsory should await consideration of the results of piloting. (Involvement in the New Deal for Disabled People will remain voluntary).
436W155 respondents, including 90 organisations, commented on our proposal to take some account of occupational and personal pensions against Incapacity Benefit entitlement. Most respondents expressed concerns about this proposal.
Responding organisations and the proposals they commented on are in the table.
437W
Organisation Single Work Focused Gateway: interview Incapacity Benefits: occupational pensions A Good Idea Yes Action for Blind People Yes Yes Action Group Yes AFSE (Association for Supported Employment) Yes Age Concern Yes Yes All Party Parliamentary Disablement Group Yes Alzheimer's Disease Society Yes Yes Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Yes Yes Association of British Insurers Yes Association of Chief Officers of Probation Yes Association of Directors of Social Services Yes Association of Disabled Professionals Yes Yes Birmingham Carers Association Yes Birmingham City Council Yes Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Yes Camden Chief Executive's Welfare Yes Yes Rights Unit Carers National Association Yes Yes Catholic Agency for Social Concern Yes Yes Centre for Independent Living in Glasgow Yes Yes Child Poverty Action Group (London) Yes Yes Child Poverty Action Group (Withington) Yes Yes Children's Society Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Camden) Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Chesterfield) Yes Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Edinburgh) Yes Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Plymouth) Yes Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Rochdale) Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Stoke-on-Trent) Yes Yes Citizens Advice Bureau (Wolverhampton) Yes Yes City and County of Swansea Yes Yes Crossroads Caring for Carers Yes Yes Cystic Fibrosis Trust Yes DIAL (Lowestoft and Waveney) Yes Yes Depression Alliance Yes Disability Action Yes Yes Disability Alliance Yes Yes Disability Benefits Consortium Yes Yes Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board Yes Yes Disability Matters Yes Disability Wales—Anabledd Cymru Yes Yes Disablement Association in the London Borough of Barnet Yes Disablement Income Group Yes Yes East Ayrshire Council Yes Yes ENABEL (Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped) Yes ERC Frankona Reassurance Ltd. Yes Essex County Council Yes Yes Family and Adult Support Group Federation of Disabled People Yes Ferret Information System Ltd. Yes Yes Future Prospects Yes 438W
Organisation Single Work Focused Gateway: interview Incapacity Benefits: occupational pensions Greater Manchester Welfare Advisers Group Yes Help the Aged Yes Henshaw's Society for the Blind Yes Hereford and Worcester Careers Services Yes Hertfordshire County Council Yes Yes Homeless Network Yes Housing Organisation UK Yes Ipswich Borough Council Yes Yes Joseph Rowntree Foundation Yes Yes Kilmarnock Forum on Disability Yes Kingston Association of Disabled People Yes Yes Lambert and Fenchurch Financial Services Ltd. Yes Lancashire County Council Yes Leeds City Council Yes Yes Leicester City Council Yes Leonard Cheshire Services Yes London Advice Services Alliance Yes Yes London Borough of Hounslow Yes Yes London East Aids Network Yes Yes Lothian Coalition of Disabled People Yes Yes Luton Borough Council Yes Macfarlane Trust Yes Manchester Advice (City Council) Yes Manchester City Council Yes ME Association Yes Mencap National Centre Yes Middlesbrough Council Yes Mind in Bexley Yes Mind the National Health Charity Yes Yes Motor Neurone Disease Association Yes Yes Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Yes Yes National Aids Trust Yes Yes National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux Yes National Association of Laryngectomee Clubs Yes National Autistic Society Yes National Centre for Independent Living Yes National Council of Women of Great Britain Yes Yes National Deaf Children's Society Yes Yes National Deafblind and Rubella Association Yes National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom Yes National Schizophrenia Fellowship Yes Newham Council Anti-Poverty and Welfare Rights Unit Yes Yes Newham Welfare Rights Action Group Yes Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce Yes Yes North West Leicestershire Carers Group Yes Notting Hill Housing Trust Yes Yes Pan London HIV/AIDS Providers Consortium Yes Yes Parkinson's Disease Society Yes Yes Path Finder Mental Health Services NHS Trust Yes Pearl Centre Yes Public Services Pensioners Council Yes Yes Rehabilitation Services Trust for Oxfordshire Re-Employment Ltd. Yes Repetitive Strain Injury Association Yes Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Yes Royal and Sun Alliance Investments Yes Yes
Organisation Single Work Focused Gateway: interview Incapacity Benefits: occupational pensions Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation Yes Yes Royal College of General Practitioners Yes Royal College of Psychiatrists Yes Royal National Institute for Deaf People Yes Yes Royal National Institute for the Blind Yes Yes Scope Yes Yes Scottish Association for Mental Health Yes Sense Organisation UK Yes Yes Shropshire Disability Consortium Yes Sir y Fflint Flintshire County Council Yes Yes Skill (National Bureau for Students with Disabilities) Yes Social Security Advisory Committee Yes Yes South Lanarkshire Council Yes Yes Spinal Injuries Association Yes Yes Stockport ME Group Yes Yes Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (Welfare Rights Unit) Yes Yes Suffolk County Council Yes Yes Suffolk Deaf Association Yes Supported Employment Policy Group Yes Swiss Re Life and Health Yes Talent to Work Yes Telford and Wrekin Council for Voluntary Services Yes Terrence Higgins Trust Yes Yes Trade Union Disability Alliance Yes Yes TUC Yes Yes Tunbridge Wells Equitable Yes Yes Union of Catholic Mothers Yes UNISON North West Region Yes Yes United Response Yes UNUM Limited Yes West Yorkshire Probation Service Yes Women's National Commission Yes Yes York Advocacy (Salvation Army) Yes York Mental Health Day Service Yes Total 117 90